Not Alone
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: Sequel to Harry Takes Cho. Cedric's dead, but Harry's not alone.


**Title:** Not Alone  
**Rating: **T  
**Pairing(s)/Character(s): **Harry/Cho  
**Warnings:** Talk of canonical character death  
**Disclaimer:** Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.  
**Word Count:** 1,042  
**Summary: **Sequel to Harry Takes Cho. Cedric's dead, but Harry's not alone.  
**Beta: **teddylupin-snape  
**Notes: **

**The Pairing War Competition: ****Round 2 **– Harry/Cho

**Het Pairing Boot Camp: **Prompt Use – Crash

* * *

Harry sits in the dormitory, unwilling to move from his bed, where he's sitting cross-legged. His mind continues flashing back to the graveyard.

"Kill the spare."

Harry's hands curl into fists on his lap as grief crashes upon him. Cedric is not a spare. He was – _is_ a brave, loyal Hufflepuff. He was – _is_ kind, sweet, intelligent, hard-working, friendly, and a brilliant Quidditch player. He is fair and always tries to do the right thing. Anyone would be lucky to have Cedric as a friend.

And now he's gone.

The door opens and Harry says, "Go away, Ron. I want to be alone."

"Wrong person," a quiet, but very familiar voice, murmurs.

Harry quickly wipes the stray tears off of his cheeks. "Cho, how did you get up here?"

Cho looks down at her feet. "Hermione showed me the trick. She's worried about you and thought I'd be able to help."

"You can't," Harry states flatly. "Cedric's gone and nothing you can do or say will bring him back.

Cho nods and moves closer to the bed, but she hesitates at the stormy look Harry's currently sporting. "That's true. Nothing will ever bring Cedric back, and he was an amazing guy."

"Is," Harry refutes. "Is. Don't speak of him in the past tense."

"I'm sorry. You're right. You can't let yourself drown in your grief, though."

"It's entirely my fault," Harry whispers, lost in his thoughts.

Cho sees this and moves so she can touch Harry. When she places her hand on his shoulder, Harry owlishly blinks up at her, his glasses making his eyes seem bigger, enhanced even more by the tears that he's doing his best to keep at bay. "How is it your fault? Did you order Cedric's death? Did you hold the wand and say the killing curse? The only ones to blame are Pettigrew and V-V-Voldemort," she finishes in a rush, still feeling scared when she speaks the name. Right then, though, she doesn't want to show any cowardice in front of Harry. He needs her to be strong.

Harry stares intently into Cho's eyes, glad he told her everything about Pettigrew and the truth about his godfather. He never wants secrets between him and his girlfriend. "It was my idea for us to take the cup together and make it a Hogwarts's victory. If I had just taken it by myself, he wouldn't have been at the graveyard in the first place."

"Stop," Cho orders. "Don't blame yourself for being a good schoolmate. You wanted to share the victory, share eternal glory, share the prize money. I think that's absolutely amazing. You had no way of knowing it was trap."

"Tell that to his parents."

Cho kneels on the floor and rests her hands on his legs. "Neither his mother or father blame you. You brought their son's body back so he could have a proper burial. If anything, they're grateful to you."

Harry lays his hands on top of hers and Cho flips her hands so she can hold his hands. "I feel like I let Cedric down."

Cho leans forward and gently kisses Harry, moving her lips slowly over his until Harry returns it. He lifts one of his hands and holds her face to his, taking pleasure in the gentle press. It's not about passion, or chemistry, or even love. It's a kiss of comfort, both lending and accepting.

When they break apart, Harry doesn't have a smile, but his eyes lose some of their weariness.

Cho rests her head on his thin shoulder and almost purrs when he begins rubbing her back with soft fingers. "Do you know how you can do Cedric justice? How you can keep his memory alive and make sure his too early death wasn't in vain?"

"How?" Harry whispers, his lips grazing her forehead when he asks.

"Avenge him. Make sure the ones responsible pays for it. Take down V-Voldemort and Pettigrew."

I already promised Snuffles I'd take down Pettigrew for him, but I'm sure he won't mind me adding Cedric to the list of reasons why Pettigrew needs to pay."

"And I'm going to be right at your side," Cho vows.

"I don't want you in that kind of danger," Harry protests.

"Too bad. You don't have a say in it, Harry."

Harry thinks about arguing, but he knows it's pointless. Cho is a very opinionated Ravenclaw. If she wants to do something, she'll do it, no matter what anyone else says. No matter how infuriating it is, it's one of the reasons he likes her so much. "Just don't leave me," he says and pulls her closer so he's hugging her.

"I'll do my best," Cho promises, even as her heart clenches at his heart-wrenching plea. She tilts her head back and claims his lips once again. They fall backwards onto his bed and Harry holds her close. He breathes in her scent – she always smells like strawberries – and feels somewhat at peace for the first time since the graveyard.

Her hand plays with his hair, and she feels like he's trying to make her a part of him. It's not an unpleasant feeling though, and she yearns for the closeness that he provides.

When they break the kiss, their breaths mingle as both of them force themselves to regulate their harsh breathing.

Cho knows not everything will magically become better. Harry's still hurting, and he'll be hurting for a while. Even if he keeps quiet about it, she knows he still blames himself for Cedric's death.

All she can do is be there for him, provide the comfort and support he will need when the war starts in earnest. And she will be at his side. Even if they break up, she won't ever let him be alone. As long as she still breathes, she'll stand at his side. He deserves to have unwavering support and that's what she can give him.

Tomorrow, they're leaving school. Cho will keep in touch through letters and hopes that will be enough to sustain him until they can see each other again.

She just hopes this won't break him. If he's chipped or cracked, she'll help piece him back together. That's a promise she makes to herself.


End file.
